Safety and Feasibility of Ultrasound-guided Peripherally Inserted Central Catheterization for Chemo-Delivery

Purpose: This study examined the safety of an ultrasound-guided peripherally insertion central catheter (PICC) for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: The medical records of consecutive patients who received ultrasound-guided PICC for chemotherapy between Sep. 2016 and Dec. 2017 were reviewed. The diameters of the basilic and brachial veins were measured in all patients. The procedures were performed when the diameter was more than 2.5 mm in the basilic vein first. The procedure was performed on the brachial vein when the diameter of the basilic vein was less than 2.5 mm. The technical success rate, catheter-related complications, duration of catheter service day by veins (basilic vs. brachial) were examined. Results: A total of 113 procedures were analyzed. The mean age was 61.9 ± 10.5 years (range 35 – 83 years). The technical success rate was 100%. The mean diameters of the basilic and brachial veins were 3.8 ± 0.8 mm and 3.9 ± 1.0 mm, respectively. The mean duration of the catheter service day was 95.8 ± 77.8. No difference in the diameter of the vessels ac-cording to age was noted. The incidence of complication-related catheter removals was similar in the two groups (26 in the basilic group and 27 in the brachial group; infection, 15.6% vs 22.4%, P ＞ 0.05 ; thrombosis, 6.3% vs. 6.1%, P ＞ 0.05; occlusion, 4.7% vs 6.1%, P ＞ 0.05). Conclusion: The ultrasound-guided PICC procedure ensures a successful probability in cancer patients. The incidence of complications was similar in the two groups (brachial vs. ba-silic).